The Sweetwater Wildcats have gone through several subtle changes since their loss to eventual state champion Alcoa in the first round of last season’s state playoffs.

A slight modification in the offense was made to accommodate the skill of this year’s team. There’s a different attitude, as the Wildcats will have to prove they are still among the Region 2-2A elite.

There’s even been a change in the traditional two-a-day schedule.

However, none of these changes affected the Wildcats, though, as they kicked off the start of the 2008 season Monday afternoon.

Teams all across Tennessee got their first taste of practice in pads yesterday, marking the earliest starting date for practice ever in the state.

Sweetwater’s traditional two-a-day drills, which consisted of one practice in the morning and one in the evening, were modified this year. Now the Wildcats are practicing once earlier in the afternoon, taking about an hour’s break, and hitting the field again for another session.

Head coach David Staff said with gas prices so high, a change had to be made.

“With the cost of gas, you don’t want [the players] to have to come up here twice,” said Staff during a break in Monday’s practice.

But the change is not one Staff necessarily likes.

“It had to be done, but I don’t really like it. It just seems like we’re not getting as much done. With the way we did it before it felt like you were really getting stuff done.”

The Wildcats will have plenty to work on as a major concern will be figuring out who will run the ball.

For the first time in seven seasons, a Latham will not be in the backfield and Sweetwater does not have one featured back.

The Wildcats will try to find that featured back before the season begins. Sophomore Jimiese McDermott and junior Kadrean Brewster look to be the top two options for the team.

Sweetwater will end the week with a scrimmage at Meigs County on Friday  at 5:30 p.m. 

It will travel to face another high school team at Maryville College on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and will host Lenoir City on Aug. 8.